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>6th Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. f Documeni 

2d Session. J \ No. 524. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



LIFE AND CHARACTER 



D 



H 



(Late a Representativk kkom Vikginia) 



I>ELIVEKE1) IN THE 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE, 



FIFTY-SIXTH C0N(;RESS, 

Second Session. 



WASHINGTON: 

(ioVERNM ENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
I9OI. 



'1/y V Bo,.^ 



JUL 6 '9'5 




[3S50. S3!eH^j?lS ^.^Jgg. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House of Representatives 5 

Address of 3Ir. Lamb, of \'irginia S 

Address of Mr. Weeks, of Michigan 14 

Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina 24 

Address of Mr. Rixey, of Virginia 1^2 

Address of Mr. Aldrich, of Alabama :;4 

Address of Mr. Lloyd, of IMissouri -iS 

Proceedings in the vSenate 41 

Address of Mr. Daniel, of Virginia 44 

Address of Mr. Turley, of Tenne.ssee 50 

3 



6 Proci'edings in the House. 

Tlie Speaker. The question is on agreeing to the resoki- 
tions. 

The resokitioiis were agreed to; and in pursuance thereof 
the Speaker appointed the following members of the House: 

Mr. Weeks of Michigan, Mr. Aldrich of Alabama, Mr. 
Kahn of Cakfornia, Mr. Roberts of Massachusetts, Mr. Minor 
of Wisconsin, Mr. Brick of Indiana, Mr. Jones of \'irginia, 
Mr. vSwanson of \'irginia, Mr. Otey of \"irginia, Mr. Rixey of 
Virginia, Mr. Hay of Virginia, Mr. Lamb of Virginia, Mr. 
Quarles of Virginia, Mr. Rkea of \'irginia, Mr. Lassiter of 
Virginia, Mr. Lloyd of Missouri, and Mr. (kiines of Tenne.s.see. 

Mr. Jones, of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as a ftirtker mark of 
re.spect, I move that the Hou.se do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly, the House (at 12 
o'clock and 21 minutes), in accordance with its previous order, 
adjourned until Thursday, January 3, 1 901, at 12 o'clock noon. 

J.vxi'ARV 10, 1 901. 

Mr. Jones, of Virginia. Mr. SjK'aker, some time .since I gave 
notice that I would ask the House to fix a day when those 
who desired to do so might present etilogies on my late col- 
league, Ricii.VRD A. Wise, of \'irginia. I now ask unanimous 
consent that Saturday, F"ei)ruar\- 9, at 4 o'clock, shall l)e .set 
a.side for that purpose. 

The Si'E.VKER. The gentleman from \'irginia asks unani- 
mous consent that Saturday, February 9, at 4 o'clock p. m., 
be .set apart for eulogies upon the life and character of the 
late Representative Rich.\rd A. Wise. Is there objection? 
[After a pause.] The Chair hears none, and that order is 
made. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, 

February 9, 1901. 
The Speaker pro tempore. The hour of 4 o'clock having 
arrived, the House will proceed to the special order for this 
hour. 

Mr. Lamb. I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk. 
The Clerk read as follows: 

A'rso/z'cd; That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- 
tunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Richard A. Wise, 
late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Virginia. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished pub- 
lic servant, the House, at the conclusion of this day's proceedings, shall 
stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk connnunicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copy of these resolutitms 
to the family of the deceased. 

The resohitions were unanimously adopted. 



Life and Character of Richard A . Wise. 



Address of Mr, Lamb, of Virginia, 

Mr. Speaker: The great mortalit>- in the Fifty-fifth and 
Fifty-sixth Congresses reminds us that life is but a span; 
that man "cometh forth like a flower and is cut down: he 
fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." "In the morn- 
ing they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning 
it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down 
and withereth." 

During these Congresses the Conunonwealth of Virginia 
has lost two of her ten Representatives. A few months ago 
we bore to his last resting place our promising young col- 
league from the Fourth district. To-day we pay tribute to the 
memory of another who has passed, unexpectedly to most of 
us, though not to himself, from the scenes of earth to ' ' the 
undiscovered countrx' from whose bourn no traveler returns." 

On Tuesday, the i8th da>- of December last, I ])aired with 
my colleague in this House, and he spoke to me perhaps the 
last words he ever uttered here. x\fter telling me that he 
was .suflFering, I remarked, "You are a doctor and ought to 
know what will give relief." He replied, "The doctors can 
not cure a man with my disea.se." That night he left for his 
home. Within four days he was sleeping in the cemetery at 
Hollywood, near the city of Richmond, where re.st the bodies 
of thousands who have helped to make the name and fame 
of the Old Dominion. 

Richard Alsop Wise was the eldest .son by his .second 
marriage of Gen. Henry A. Wi.se, of Virginia, who was for 
ten years a member of this House, then minister to Brazil, 



Address of Mr. Lamb, of Virginia. 9 

and afterwards governor of Virginia, and later on a distin- 
guished general in the war between the States. He inherited 
a vigorous intellect and strong personality. At the breaking 
out of the war he left college to join the Confederate army. 

He was a private in Stuart's cavalry, and at the close of the 
war was a.ssistant inspector- general of Wise's brigade. After 
the war he graduated in medicine from the Medical College of 
Virginia. In 1869 he was professor of chemistry in the College 
of William and Mary; was appointed assistant physician to the 
Ea.stern Lunatic Asylum of \'irginia in 1878. and in 1882 was 
elected superintendent of this asylum and .served until the 
.spring of 1884. He served in the Virginia legislature three 
years, and was elected clerk of the county courts of the city of 
Williamsburg and the county of James City in 1887, holding 
this office for six years, administering the .same with marked 
ability and success. He was for a number of years chairman 
of the Republican county connnittee c»f James City Count v, 
and was a member of the P^ifty-fiftli and Fifty-.sixth Con- 
gresses. The large iniml^er of bills lie itUroduced for his dis- 
trict and the appropriations he .secured will attest his industry 
and his clo.se attention to his duties. Could he have survived 
this se.s.sion he would have realized the success of several 
schemes he hoped to .see perfected. 

That he was a man of unusual energy and force of character 
is fully .shown by the recital above of the various positions he 
filled with great credit to him.self, and .satisfaction, as I have 
been al)le to observe, to those interested. 

During a portion of the time that he served as assistant 
superintendent of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum I was one of 
the directors of that institution, and can testify to his ability 
and efficiency as well as his great kindne.ss and uncea.sing 
attention to the wants of the unfortunate people connnitted 



lo Life and Character of Richard A. If "ise. 

to his charge. Too ofteu in private Hfe. owing to conflict 
of interest or preconceived opinions or unfortunate and un- 
founded prejudices, we do injustice to our fellows and are 
slow to give them full measure of praise. Much more is this 
the case when part\- differences separate us and we look on 
one side only. 

That I may bring out the salient points in the life and char- 
acter of our deceased colleague and show in what estimate he 
was held by those who knew him best, and at the same time 
differed with him in politics, I will read from the pen of a 
citizen of Williamsburg a tribute that was paid him a few days 
after his untimely taking off: 

IX MEMORIA.M RICHARD A. WISE. 

The feeling of the deepest sorrow fills this entire connnunity on account 
of the death of Dr. Richard A. WiSK, which occurred about lo o'clock 
yesterday morning, for they feel the loss of a good and skillful physician, 
who was ready at all times to respond to the calls of suffering humanity; 
and those who feel most heavily the loss of a kind friend and benefactor 
are the poorer class of people. This day have been heard on the streets 
and out in the country many heartfelt expressions of sorrow from the 
lips of white and colored: "What is to become of us, now that Dr. WiSK 
is o^one?" Many families can be mentioned white families, not to 
speak of the colored people— upon whom Dr. WiSK has been practicing 
for years without hope or expectation of renmneration. The devotion of 
the needv class to Dr. Wise was phenomenal. Day and night, it is 
known to the writer of this poor tribute, Dr. WiSE would travel many 
miles to visit the sick, nurse them tenderly and carefully, when he well 
knew there was not the slightest prospect of any medical fees. 

The author of this notice differed in politics from INIr. WiSE— one a life- 
long Democrat, the other a Republican— yet we know that there are 
white Democrats in this part of the peninsula who never failed to vote for 
Dr. Wise whenever he was a candidate for office. But these men would 
never vote for any other Republican. Their gratitude to the good phy- 
sician and their generous friend always overcame their party loyalty. 

Dr. Wise has proven a working and useful member of Congress, and it 
can not be denied that he has secured at Washington large appropriations 
for this Congressional district. 

Though regarded generally as a bitter partisan by the Democrats, it is 
well known that he has secured during his career in Congress nianv 



Address of Mr. Lamb, of Virginia. n 

appointments for Democrats. One of his last public acts was to appoint 
as principal and alternate to the Naval Academy, at Annapolis, the sons 
of unwavering Democrats. 

Dr. Wise had his peculiarities (and who has them not?), but he pos- 
sessed a kind heart and generous disposition to those who knew him 
intimately and understood him well. 

A lifelong Democrat, who has never voted any other than a Democratic 
ticket (save once, and that for Horace Greeley ), who has knowai Dr. Wise 

for more than forty 3-ears— always differing with him politically feels 

deeply distressed at his untimely death, and will place flowers upon his 
grave, with " Peace to his ashes.'" 

Democr.\T. 

Williamsburg, Va., December 22, /goo. 

I have no idea who is the author of this tribute to my col- 
league, Mr. Speaker, but I know the people of the good old 
town of Williamsburg, \'a. I knew them when a bo>-, before 
the war swept over them with the besom of destruction. I 
.saw her young men die in defense of the con.stitutional rights 
their own sires had won on the historic plains of Yorktown. 
I knew a few of that heroic band who returned to their poverty- 
stricken homes to begin life anew, having lost all save honor 
and amljition. Some of these walked as far as Richmond, 
carrying tlieir worldly goods. One, I rememl)er, who was at 
one time a private in my company, migrated to Texas and 
became governor of that State, and afterwards a member of 
the United vStates vSenate. 

Most of these heroes, however, remained in and near the 
ancient town. Without doubt one of these penned the trib- 
ute to Dr. Wisi' that I have just read. It bears the marks 
of sincerity and evidenth- shows that the author has learned 
one le.sson — a hard lesson for weak mortality — to conquer his 
prejudices. If we have not learned this lesson in the .school 
of life or the .school of politics, we may, perchance, catch a 
glimpse of its importance as we ' ' Walk through the valley of 
the shadow of death." 



1 2 Life and Character of Richard A . Wise. 

It was in this town, once the capital of Virginia, and the 
scene of her Revolutionary struggle, as it had been an hundred 
years before of Bacon's rebellion, that Dr. Wise settled a 
year or two after the war. 

I remember passing through Williamsburg, on the Chesa- 
peake and Ohio Railroad, last fall. Dr. Wise boarded the 
train. A drizzling rain was falling, and ju.st before reaching 
a station in the old county of New KeiU Ik- informed me 
that he would get ofT there. As that county is in my 
district, I inquired what was carrying him up there such 
an inclement day. He then told me that he had an urgent 
letter from an old lady, who had written him to come to 
.see her, as she had been a patient of his years before. I 
knew that he would have to ride lo miles in an open buggy 
after leaving the train, and that he would not charge a fee 
for the vi.sit. On the ride we pa.ssed through a country well 
known to us both. He remarked on the improved condition 
of the country in some places, and expressed gratification that 
the negroes were building better houses and appeared more 
thrifty. Indeed, he felt confident that they were progressing, 
whatever might be said to the contrary. I reminded him 
that these negroes were chiefly the old servants who had 
remained at home, that the younger men and women were 
drifting off into other States, that servants and cooks could 
.scarcelv l)e hired at all, and that in a score or two of years 
an entirely new population would settle the historic penin- 
sula: that the country between Newport News and Richmond 
must liecome a fruit-growing and truck-raising section, finding 
larger markets than now in the great West, as well as su])- 
plying the growing towns of Virginia. "Yes," he said, "but 
you and I will be dead before then." 

In the death of our colleague another of that incomparable 



A ddress of Mr. Lamb, of I Irgin ia. 13 

body of men — the glorious infantry of the Army of Northern 
Virginia — has answered the long roll call and gone to join 
the great majority. We are falling more rapidly than we 
fell in battle. Soon the places that know us now will know 
us no more forev^er. The Confederate soldier, like the heroes 
of iMarathon and Thermopylae, will live only in song and 
stor>'. Those by whose splendid deeds in war they may well 
measure their chivalry and manhood are falling at the rate 
of 1,000 a month, and before another decade has been num- 
bered with the silent past the ex-soldiers of the Grand Army 
of the Republic and those who followed the Stars and Bars 
will meet beyond the river. 

And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor cryintj; neither 
shall there be any more pain. 



14 Life a7id Character of Richard A. Wise. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Weeks, of Michigan, 

Mr. Speaker: In the few remarks which I shall address 
to the House on this occasion it will be my purpose to pre- 
sent my sincere and impartial impressions of the character of 
Richard A. Wi.se — impressions obtained during an accjuaint- 
ance limited in time, but rendered intimate by relations 
similar to those which arise between a lawyer and his client. 
Every lawyer on this floor will recall the fact that it is quite 
common for a life-Ion^; friendship to exist between the pro- 
fessional man and the client for whom he has .y^iven his 
earnest and symjjathetic services in some close liti.^ation or 
hard-fou.uht le,y:al battle — a friendship that mersres into com- 
radeship or sometlnng akin to fraternal affection. 

Mv first acciuaintance with the deceased be.i^nui in the year 
1899, when he was contestant for the seat which he occupied 
when he died. From my relation to that contest I neces- 
sarily learned nuich of his political record and personal char- 
acter, and out of that knowled.i^e g^rew a warm friendshi]) 
and sincere admiration. 

He was in no way a show\- man. Neither in ]->er.sonal 
appearance nor in jioli.shed manner and speech did he create 
favorable first imi)ressions which were not .su.stained by more 
intimate acquaintance. Seriou.sne.ss. bluntness of speech, and 
pertinacity were the traits of his character most apparent to 
strangers. 

He had a contempt for flattery, which made him .slow in 
his approaches to intimacy. I never met a man whose speech 
or manner was more free from hy])ocritical ])rofession or who 
took less pains to conceal his own contempt for h\pocrisy in 
others. 



Address of Mr. Weeks, of Michioan. 15 

Yet when the outer barriers of acquaintance were passed 
he presented to his friends an itnier self strangely in contrast 
with the first impressions which he seemed anxious to make 
upon strangers. 

Beneath a rugged exterior he had a heart of gold, filled 
with the unselfish desire to serve the people that he loved, 
and an overanxious wish to show appreciation of kindness 
shown to him. 

Under an apparent sluggishness of thought and action he 
had a keen, active mind, which observed with unusual polit- 
ical sagacity, which planned with careful forethought, and 
which executed vigorously and with regard to every detail. 

It is no reflection upon others to say that the contests 
made in this House by the deceased showed all these quali- 
ties in a preeminent degree and were won by an amount of 
preparation and labor which would have discouraged many 
men of less pertinacity and contimht\- of purpose. None 
knew this qualit>- of the deceased better than his })()litical 
opponents, who with one voice admit that lie never lost a 
political advantage by failure to fight for it. 

He had em])hatically the courage of his con\-ictions to a 
preeminent degree, and although the di.sease which finallv 
killed him was brought about b\- the labor and anxiety of 
his ])olitical struggles, he expressed no regret at the sacrifice, 
l)Ut e])it<)mize(l his nature in his last utterances. He was a 
physician and knew the symptoms of his maladv perfectlv. 
When told that he needed rest, he replied that he had work 
to do and would rather die fighting than live resting. He 
knew his death was ap|)roaching, and speaking of it to me 
an hour before he left the House of Reinx-sentatives for the 
last time he said: "I am going to die, but I have no fear 
of death." To another friend he .said, with a look of pride 



1 6 Life and Character of Richard A. J Vise. 

and defiance: "They have killed me, but they could not 
whip me. I die on top." And with the pride and conscious 
(lio^nity of a Roman senator he turned away from the pres- 
ence of the House, then in session, and walked out of polit- 
ical life to go to his loved and quiet home to die. 

I must .speak of the politics of the deceased, for the 
intere.st of the public in his life .springs from the les.sons 
taught by his political career. I nuist speak of his personal 
antecedents, for in them will be found the jieculiarities and 
the .strength of his nature. 

He was the .son of a remarkable man, who for many years 
upon the floor of this Hou.se was a peerless and eloquent 
type and exjx^nent of vSouthern views, afterwards governor 
of \'irginia when John Brown was tried and executed, and 
afterwards still a di.stinguished leader on the Southern side. 
Upon his mother's .side he was the grandson of an eminent 
lawyer, a prominent statesman, and a typical Puritan of the 
North. 

In him, therefore, were combined two distinct strains, which 
need not be de.scribed, but in one of which impetuous zeal 
and fiery eloquence were prominent, and in tlie other patient 
work, strong conviction, common sense, and boundless tenacity. 
In both were ambition, controlled by honesty of purpo.se. 

No wonder, then, if our deceased friend in the course of 
his long career gave evidence of his possession of these remark- 
able qualities. 

In the bud of his youth he confronted a civil conflict in 
which manhood could not well be negative. His teachings 
in his childhood that his first allegiance was due to his State, 
and that she, in her course, was resisting aggression; and a 
deep filial love, which is a family characteristic, made him 
volunteer as a Confederate soldier in April of 1861 and serve 



Address of Mr. Weeks, of Miehioan. ij 

with honor and with courai^e until the downfall of the Con- 
federacy. In the sense that he never admitted that he was 
a traitor, and made no apolog^ies for his Confederate career, 
and venerated his commanders, and loved his old Confederate 
comrades, he was a Confederate soldier until he died. But 
notwithstanding this, from the time the Confederate war was 
ended and the Confederate cause dead beyond resurrection, 
he accepted the inevitable, and his orphaned allegiance to that 
cause was transferred cheerfully, in good faith, and thence- 
forth unfalteringly to the reunited United States of America. 
Richard A. Wise po.ssessed the quality of connnon sense, 
derived from father and mother alike, which showed him the 
absurdity of his citizenship in and protection by a government 
to which he profes.sed an allegiance, which he could not pos- 
sibly renounce, yet against which he cherished a secret grudge 
and animosity for old issues which had been fairly and bravely 
fought to a final decision. To him it seemed that the hope of 
the vSouth, her future happiness, her future greatness, depended 
upon the division of her people into political parties upon 
living issues of the present and the future, ignoring the dead 
sectional and race questions, which had been settled by the 
civil war. To him it .seemed that, notwithstanding the antag- 
onism of the Republican party to the vSouth in the time of 
war, it was a more rational and a more progressive and safer 
party, in the present, than the Democracy. He was strong 
enough to overcome his old prejudices against Republicanism, 
and .strong enough to di.scern and ridicule the cunning and 
constant appeals of reorganized Democracy to his Confederate 
feeling, upon some notion, vaguely suggested, that it, any 
more than Republicanism, represents any ob.solete Confederate 
idea. He scorned hypocrisy in politics, and embraced Repub- 
licanism through intelligence, and not through sentiment. 
H. Doc. 524 2 



1 8 Life and Characte?- of Richard A. Wise. 

Through my acquaintance with Richard A. Wise I have, 
as a Northern Repubhcan, come to appreciate the strength of 
character and independence requisite to make a Southern Con- 
federate gentleman, still residing among his people, an open, 
militant advocate of Republican policies. The position of such 
a man is different and infinitely more difficult than that of the 
white loyalist who left the South during the war and returned 
at its close: or the Northern white who moved to the South 
after the cessation of hostilities; or the black who, owing all to 
the Republican party, is naturally Republican. Such a man, 
when he takes ground with the Republican party, knows that 
he does it at the .sacrifice of many fonner friends; knows that 
the local allies with whose aid he nnist thenceforth wage his 
political strife are disposed to distrust him for his antecedents or 
be jealous of his future prominence; and he knows, moreover, 
or must learn, that even in the North, among his party a.s.sociates, 
the sincerity of his j^osition will be gravely .scanned and the value 
of his political influence doubted, for the North listens much 
to the aspersions upon such men by their political opponents. 

Notwith.standing all this, there have been many instances of 
l)ra\-e, defiant, forceful men who have dared to range them- 
selves in favor of the Republicanism of to-day u])on the very 
soil on which they fought it in the time of civil strife. No 
instance of this has l)een more conspicuous than that of Rich- 
ard A. Wish, who for the past twenty years has stood as 
chairman and leader of the Repul)lican party in his home in 
Virginia, and who, starting almost alone among the whites of 
his community, has built up around himself a Republican party 
composed of many of the best citizens of the ancient capital 
of \'irginia, and has drawn to his personal support, even on 
the Republican ticket, many citizens who refused to admit that 
they were Republicans. 



Addnss of Mr. Weeks, of Michigan. 19 

It was my privilege to visit this man at his home, to meet 
and become acquainted with his friends, and see and know how 
he bore himself among- his fellow-citizens. It was a curious 
study to a Northern man, coming from a section where race 
and social distinctions and political prejudices are so different 
from what they are in the South. I saw him moving about 
among his people, white and black, a man, a neighbor, a citi- 
zen, a physician, and a politician, each of these relations oper- 
ating in a different way to influence his political power. 

His high social standing, his irreproachable domestic and 
private life made him all the more obnoxious to those who 
through deep prejudice regarded his politics as treason. His 
conduct as an exemplary citizen commanded respect for his 
opinions and strengthened his power to work reformation. His 
unquestioned courage as a man made his most bitter enemies 
careful how they attacked him personally. His .skill'as a phy- 
sician and his readiness to bestow the charity of his healing on 
friend and foe alike took the bitterness out of animosity. He 
was a man of the people, to whom the poor and humble flocked, 
and in whom they trusted — white and black. Yet he was un- 
con.sciously an aristocrat in his relation to the great bulk of his 
political constituents, and they, unconsciously and lovingly, 
acknowledged his aristocracy in their bearing toward him. 

As a politician he had no peer in the opposition, in learning, 
in the forceful presentation of the issues, or in the industry 
and zeal with which he pressed his views. Handling the means 
and influences at his command with great adroitness, he gath- 
ered alx)Ut him and held together around him, in the face of 
opposition even in his own party, a strong, respectable, and 
aggressive Republican party in his Congressional district, 
and reclaimed it in two contests after it had been long under 
Democratic control. He held it as the last stronghold of 



20 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 

Republicanism in Virginia in the face of an outrageous election 
law and a divided support in his party. 

On the floor of this House he made no effort to be conspicu- 
ous or gain notoriety. He modestly accepted his- position as a 
new member, but was ever at his post in support of his party 
with the fidelity of a veteran. 

In his fight for his seat in this House, with which I was 
familiar, he was aggressive to the point of fierceness. In his 
feelings against ])()litical adversaries who, as he believed, had 
wronged him, he was scathing, denunciatory, and bitter; but 
in the discharge of his duties as a public representative, in the 
bestowal of the little patronage that was accorded to him, he 
did his full duty to friend and foe alike, and was ever generous 
in the work done and the consideration shown to his political 
adversaries and in his effort to benefit all his people. The 
work he accomplished while he was in office will remain a mon- 
ument to his untiring zeal. 

When he died, the men whom he had fought so long and so 
courageously were either silently respectful or accorded to him 
the courage, constancy, honesty, sincerity, and zeal which all 
knew he possessed. 

I have forborne from reference to his domestic life, save as it 
bore upon his political career. The little glimpse I had of his 
sweet domestic circle, in his luipretentious home at Williams- 
burg, of his keen love for and intimate knowledge of agricul- 
ture, of his joy in his flowers and his cro])s, the friendships by 
which he was surrounded, the almo.st worshipful faith of his 
black constituents, the peaceful fireside under the shadow of 
the old colonial church, all are too sacred to be made the sub- 
ject of description; Init they went into the sum of the life 
which is ended, and were as much a part, a beneficial part, of 
his career as the fiercer elements of public conflict. 



A dd) -ess of Mr. J I ''ceks , of Mich ioa n. 21 

As the j-ears are counted he was youno^, but his lot fell at a 
time when the events crowded into the fifty-seven years which 
he lived made him an old man in experience. He was a 
veteran soldier of the civil war, a professor for many years in 
the second oldest college in our country, a successful practicing 
physician, a member of the general assembly of his State, and 
a Congressman at the time of our nation's war with Spain. 

He has closed a life of remarkable acti\-ity, in which he dis- 
played intellect, courage, honesty, frugality, and untiring 
industry and zeal for the things which he believed were right, 
which entitle his name and his example to live as a model for 
the youth who come after him, a blessing, a comfort to those 
who loved him. 

RiCH.\RD Alsop Wise represented in this House of Congress 
the Second district of \'irginia, made up of the counties of 
Charles City, Elizabeth City, I.sle of Wight, James City, Nanse- 
mond, Norfolk, Princess Anne, Southampton, Surry, Warwick, 
and York, and the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Williams- 
burg, and Newport News. This includes the peninsula lying 
between the York and the James rivers, a territory rich in 
historical reminiscence as the theater of some of the greatest 
events in the history of the Republic. 

Williams])urg, one of the ancient capitals of \'irginia, rich in 
memories of colonial days and of the Revolutionary times, with 
a church built in the days of William and Mary, and around 
which ma>- be found mural monuments commemorating the 
names of men and women who lived and died more than a 
century before this nation was born; where may be found the 
foundation stones of the building once occupied as the capitol 
of the colony of Yirginia, where stood her house of burgesses, 
when George Washington and Patrick Henry were representa- 
tives, or delegates, and where the dignity of Washington and 



2 2 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 

the patriotic and fervid oratory of Henry were seen and heard 
in the early days of American revolt against oppression and 
tyranny. Within seven miles is Jamestown, the site of the first 
permanent settlement of Englishmen in America, and not far 
away historic Yorktown, the field where England's proud ban- 
ner was lowered, her arms laid down, and her army surrendered 
to Lafayette and Washington. 

And again in the civil war was this ground hallowed by the 
blood and sacrifice of those who struggled for the preservation 
of the Union, as well as those who fought, as they believed, for 
the honor of the South. And among these last mentioned, one 
was Richard A. Wi.sk, who was a soldier in the army of the 
Confederacy. Over this peninsula marched and battled the 
armies of the contending forces, and made forever memorable 
the fields of Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Fair Oaks. 

A year ago I visited the battlefield of Williamsburg with 
Richard A. Wise as my guide, and talked over with him the 
scenes and incidents of that hard-fought field, and I was deeply 
impressed with the rare powers of description and the fairness 
and intelligence of my guide, as he described the incidents of 
that struggle, standing on the very ground where the drama 
was enacted. 

Not only here, but on many other occasions did Mr. Wise 
repeat to me the stories of his campaigns while a ' ' rebel ' ' 
soldier, and gave me the reasons which prompted him, the feel- 
ings which animated him, the sympathies and emotions which 
stirred his heroic young soul in those days of war and disaster 
for his native State. And then, when the sad and terrible con- 
flict was over, he told me of the regeneration of his patriotism 
and the renewal of his loyalty to the flag of our great Republic. 

In all these conversations he never spoke of his native State 
except in terms of love, or of his comrades save in language of 



Address of Mr. Weeks, of Micliigau. 23 

tender remembrance. Siirronnded by such memories and such 
scenes, Mr. Wise passed many years of active poHtical effort, 
but they were years also of peaceful and lovely domestic life. 
I close with reverence the perfumed leaves of his book of life 
and lay this poor tribute upon his bier, counting my brief 
acquaintance with this man among the choicest of my manhood 
experiences. It has taught me a lesson of forbearance and for- 
giveness toward those whom we have, some of us, long looked 
upon with almost irreconcilable partisan distrust, and led me to 
a more generous hope that in the fullness of time there will be 
real and lasting reconciliation between those who once con- 
tended in civil war, but who now, like Richard A. Wise in 
his lifetime, have laid away forever the bitterness and prejudice 
which the pa.ssing of the generation fully warrants. 



24 Life and Character of Richani A . Wise. 



Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina. 

Mr. Speaker: It has been said that man is man's best book, 
the last page whereof is written in death. 

It is probably a recognition of this fact that makes the pro- 
ceedings of this House, b}- which we attempt to pa}- our tribute 
of respect to the memor}- of those who served with us and have 
"pas-sed over the river," so desirable to our constituents. I do 
not know how it is with others, ])ut I am often in recei]>t of 
letters from my constituent.s — from the most thoughtful, too, 
of them — a.sking me to furnish them the Record of the proceed- 
ings on a certain memorial occasion. 

There they learn, Mr. Speaker, nuich in this greatest book. 
They learn of life, and they learn nuich of the .sad hour of 
death. 

In all ages it has l)een the ca.se, and in times to come it will 
probably still be the ca.se, that tlie matters of life and the still 
more solenni mysteries of death will alwa>s l)e a su])ject of 
inquiry to thoughtful people in all countries. The diversity of 
opinion touching this overshadowing question is greater than 
the diversity of opinion upon any other subject, on any other 
line of human thought, or in anything that challenges the 
attention and commands the eflforts of men here upon the earth. 
Even, .sir, in the fiercest conflicts — in the fierce conflict of opin- 
ion upon the rostrum; in the conflict of opinion here upon this 
floor and elsewhere; in the bitter conflicts which are fought 
upon matters not pertaining to the mysteries of life and death^ 
the attention of mankind in every country is called to the fact 
that in the book of inspiration, luminous, life giving, and radi- 
ating as it is, the God of the univer.se was unable to make 



Adihess of Mr. IJiniey, of North Carolina. 25 

Himself thoroughh' understood upon these wonderful mysteries 
which involve life and which terminate in death. Hence we 
see the different schools of theology and the different Christian 
organizations throughout the world. 

It has been .said by .someone that life is a narrow pathway, a 
vale that lies between the tall and barren peaks of two eterni- 
ties. 

It was said by the great Caesar that death is no punishment. 
Even in the trial of Catiline, Caesar in the Roman senate moved 
the abolition of the death penalty. "Ah," says one, "there is 
a senator in .sympathy with Catihne. " "Not so," .said the 
great Caesar, "I move the abolition of the death penalty 
becau.se death is no punishment. To die only lops off so many 
years of fearing death." 

"We are after death as we were before birth." The greatest 
theologian I think I ever heard, Bishop Atkins, in speaking of 
life and the idea of immortality and the thoughts connected 
with it, opened the window in a lighted room and presented a 
photograph of a bird in its flight through an outer window, its 
fluttering rapidly to a point of e.scape. The only difference 
between the theologian and Cae.sar was that Cte.sar .saw nothing 
beyond dissolution. Death terminated all with him. That 
was the finality. But the great bi.shop "saw an unending life 
of bli.ss and hope and happiness in the future." The mo.st 
impressive definition of the terms "life and death" that I have 
.seen recently is this: "Life is a complete circle, a continual 
sunri.se, in which we behold the .splendors of each new day; but 
finally there comes a time when man ])as.ses to the circumfer- 
ence of the earth's circle, when a shadow covers him, and he 
marches forth into the .splendor of an eternal morning. ' ' 

The immortal ancestor of Dr. \Vi.se, of who.se virtues we 
.speak to-day, believed in this last defin.ition I have given. He 



26 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 

believed in the immortality of the soul, iind expressed the hope 
of a realization of the eternal day of sunshine and joy, and upon 
his deathbed said to his sons: " My sons, in view of the great 
problems of life, let me say to you that success can only be 
attained by looking for the hardest knots in life and untying 
them if ^'ou can, always bearing in mind that the standard by 
which your conduct is to be controlled is measured by this 
interrogatory, ' Is it right? ' " 

Mr. Speaker, the late George Nathaniel Folk, of the North 
Carolina bar, was, in w\\ opinion, one of the ablest law^^ers of 
America. On one occasion his son George was talking to his 
father as to what he .should .select as the business of his life. 
"My son," .said the great jurist, "look at my library. It is 
almost all I have. I want you to read law and follow it as a 
profes.sion. " "Not so," said George. "I can never hope to 
attain succe.ss in the profession until I shall have reached your 
profes.sional excellence, and I can never hope to do that. 
Therefore I mu.st .select some other profe.s.sion." 

Truly, Mr. Speaker, greatness is as a mighty mountain, 
with a depression of progenitor on one side and of progeny' 
on the other. Why? Because self-reliance, and .self-reliance 
only, develops and strengthens human character. That is the 
rule. An idea .struck me while the distinguished gentleman 
from \'irginia [Mr. Lamb] was talking about the Confederate 
.soldier. I want to add .something to that. In the count\- in 
which I live I have never known a Confederate soldier to be 
indicted for a crime. Why? Notwithstanding the demorali/.- 
ing influences of army life, the discipline of the army de\-elops 
men. Look at your Senators from the South, your governors, 
your judges, your successful business men, those who stand 
out aliove all others, and as a rule in spite of great di.sadvan- 
tages, such as lack of education, etc., you find that the men 



Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina. 27 

who are great and successful bear the wounds of strife — the cut 
of the sword or bayonet or the mark of the bullet. 

The ancestor of Dr. Wise was, in my opinion, in many 
respects the greatest citizen of the State of Virginia; and when 
I say that it is indeed a high standard. A photograph has 
been taken from the gallery of that distinguished fellow-citizen 
as he sat upon this floor at the age of 39. At the age of 39 
Henry A. Wise, the ancestor of Dr. Wise, was regarded as one 
of the leading political orators of the country. In an article 
entitled " Glances at Congress" this photograph of his physical 
and intellectual existence is preserved: 

His face is pale, and his white cravat adds to his appearance of livid 
pallor, but he has a dark and brilliant eye, a powerful feature in Mr. 
Wise, which seems sometimes to flash almost unearthly rays of light over 
his whole countenance. 

All his prominent characteristics are brought out with great rapidity. 
Firmness, impetuosity, a dis<lain for honeyed words, fierce sarcasm, and 
invective, all gather into a hurricane and startle the drowsy members 
from the lounges and wake up those victims of dull hours, the reporters. 

Mr. Speaker, Henry A. Wise, the ancestor of Dr. Wise, 
probably made the most of his reputation in the great cam- 
paign against Know-nothingism when he was running for 
governor. 

I have met the Black Knight with his visor down, and his lance and 
spear are broken. 

The use of this classic, to which he has given the force of a 
proverb, made the name of Henry A. Wi.se immortal. The 
oratory displayed by him in that campaign and the adroitness 
with which he managed the debate, as well as the courage he 
displayed in it, have probably never been equaled. 

Great orations are generally .short. Wise .spoke for five 
hours, consuming all the time of a day and night session, upon 
the problem that property can never represent a vote in the 



28 Life and Cliaracter of Richard A. Wise. 

State of Virginia. "I hold that the true element of repre- 
sentation in the legislature is the will of the people. Anything 
that belongs to man has no will and no right to vote." And 
during that period of five hours the flashes of the innnortal 
.soul of the great orator which swept across his face, as 
described in that photograph taken from the galler}-, held upon 
his words an audience the largest that ever up to that time had 
as.sembled in the State of Virginia, and the interest at the last 
hour of the five was greater than at the first. 

He was indeed a very great man. How came the Wises to 
be so great? It is hard to tell. His .son, Dr. Wise, as well 
as all of the line from 1636, the time of John W'i.se, the com- 
mon ancestor of the family, all were great. It has been .said 
by some theologians that with the first breath a man inhales he 
takes in some preexisting spirit, which he transmits in death. 
Po.ssibly, when the great original progenitoi of the line drew 
his finst breath, in the time of Henry \'III (vSir William Wise 
being knighted by Henry \'III becau.se of his witj, he inhaled 
a .spirit under .some great Gibraltar of moral and intellectual 
excellence which has been tran.smitted from father to .son. 
Tliere was no de])ression of progenitor on the one side or of 
progeny on the other in the o\-ertowering mountain fame of 
Henry A. Wise. All were great. 

Dr. Wise was a student of William and Mary College. The 
usual course there between entrance and graduation was five 
years. After having attended there two years Dr. Wise went 
to the war, entering the Confederate arm\- as a private, but 
coming out as an officer of distinction. William and Mar}' was 
the finst .seat of learning ever establi.shed in the I'nited States 
except one, and that was Harvard. It had an endowment of 
^1,500,000 and 15,000 acres of land. 

We know that a "professorship of law and police, one of 



Address of Mr. Lhimy, of North Carolina. 29 

anatomy, medicine, and chemistry, and one of modern lan- 
guages were created." 

Besides the preparatory department, known as the graniniar and 
"Matty" school, founded b}^ Mrs. Mary Whaley in 1742, the college has 
the following departments: i, Latin; 2, Greek; 3, mathematics; 4, French; 
5, German; 6, natural philosophy and mixed mathematics; 7, chemistry, 
geology, mineralogy, and phjsiolog}- ; S, moral and intellectual science 
and belles-lettres. * * * Xhe institution was formerly under Episcopal 
control, but is now connected with no denomination. Benjamin S. Ewell, 
LL. D., was president of the college since 1854 for many years. Thomr.s 
Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, Chief Justice ^larshall, Peyton 
Randolph, president of the first American Congress; John Randolph of 
Roanoke, and Winfield Scott were graduates of this college. 

Dr. Wise, whose memory we are now commemorating, was 
a student of this college for two years, and such was tlie 
progre.ss that he made, .such the natural vigor of his intellect, 
that he was prepared to occupy an exalted position in his 
alma mater. He was apix)inted professor of chemistry and 
phy.siology in the college of William and Mar}', and occupied 
that position for some time with entire satisfaction, we are 
told, to everybody. 

Mr. Speaker, the mo.st learned of all the professions is the 
medical profession. Dr. WiSK succeeded in the practice of his 
profession; he not only succeeded in the practice of his profes- 
sion, but such was his success, such his acknowledged learning 
in the most learned of all profe.s.sions, that he was cho.sen Ijy 
the authorities of the State of Virginia as physician for the 
in.sane asylinn, which he held for a long period. That such a 
man should succeed in everything that he tindertook, of course, 
is what is to be expected. 

He finally entered into politics; and there is something- 
remarkable abotit that — the charm of political life for men. 
He held an exalted po.sition in this great college in which 
Washington was once an officer, and Jefferson and Monroe and 



30 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 

all the great treasured intellectualities of the great State of 
Virginia received their training. I say the fact that Dr. Wise 
should have attained to such eminence in that college was an 
honor far beyond anything that he ever could have obtained in 
political life. Still there is something of an exceptional charm 
about political life. The most intelligent men desire to occupy 
a position in political life as a matter of honor. Dr. Wise was 
not an exception to the rule. He entered the political arena 
and was able to measure with the foremost, with the greatest 
in the State of Virginia, where he entered into the field of 
politics. 

I say it was with him the fiercest flame with which human 
intellect and human effort ever came in conflict. No doubt he 
hesitated an entrance upon this field; but once being in, he 
proved himself a master. He was with us a short time. I 
became somewhat intimately acquainted with him, and enjoyed 
his society becau.se of his great big .soul. His eyes, the win- 
dows of his immortal soul, told what he was. There is no 
depression upon either side of the. mountain of human excel- 
lence built up by the greatness of Henry A. Wise in the 
progeny in this case. Under existing conditions, with the 
same environments. Dr. Wise would have measured well up 
with the greatest \'irginian that lived since the birth of Henry 
A. Wise. He had .severe conflicts in his life. It was because 
of that very fact that he gave utterance to the somewhat 
melancholy remark here to myself and the gentleman from 
Alabama in this gloomy line of thought. Said he, " I shall 
not live long. I know enough about the di.seases that make 
war on human vitality to know that this life with me is about 
ended. I do not care to fight the battle nnich longer. The 
struggle with me has been of such a character that I am almost 
wearv of life." 



Address of Mr. Linney, of North Carolina. 31 

Mr. Speaker, a truer, braver heart I never saw. I wish we 
had everything in his Hfe, from the cradle to the grave, put 
upon record. It would constitute a book out of which the 
greatest Virginian, the greatest North Carohnian, the greatest 
American could draw lessons of wisdom and exalted patriotism 
that would enlarge his soul, make his life better, and probably 
increase his prospects for the joy of the eternal beyond. 



32 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 



Address of Mr. Rixey, of Virginia. 

Mr. Speaker: I first met my late collea<?iie upon the assem- 
])ling of the Fifty-fifth Cono^ress. We were not thrown much 
together in the years that followed, and, while I was a member 
of the committee which attended his funeral in Richmond, it 
had not been my ]iurpose, owing to my limited ac(juaintance 
with him, to offer any remarks to-day, preferring to leave that 
sad duty to those of my colleagues who were favored with a 
more intimate acquaintance. At a late hour, however, one of 
my colleagues has found him.self unable, by reason of al)sence, 
to participate in the.se ceremonies. 

I am fully con.scious of my inability, under the.se circum- 
stances, to speak of the life, character, and distinguished .services 
of my late colleague as they deserve. 

A Virginian l)y birth, he came of distinguished ancestry. His 
father, Henry A. Wi.se, was, as has been said, one of the most 
noted men the Old Dominion ever produced. For ten years a 
member of this House, he was nominated by Pre.sident Tyler 
for the post of minister to France and resigned his seat in Con- 
gress in anticipation of a confirmation by the Senate. The 
Senate failed to confirm, and he was at once returned by his 
loyal constituents to the Congress from which he had resigned. 
Again nominated by President T\ler, this time as mini.ster to 
Brazil, he was confirmed by the Senate. Resigning this ])osi- 
tion, after .several years of service, he returned to his State, and 
taking an active part in politics was, in 1855, after an exciting 
contest in which the Know- Nothing party in Virginia received 
its death blow, elected governor of his State. It was in the 
closing days of his admini.stration that the John Brown raid, the 
precursor of the great war between the States, occurred. 



Address of Mr. Rixey, of ]'i>gi)iia. 33 

Brave and chivalrous, warm in his friendships, nnconipromi- 
sing in his hatreds, his son, Richard Alsop Wise, inherited 
these with many other traits of his noble father. 

The political career of my late colleague was tempest tossed. 
Honored by his State, he filled many positions of high honor 
and trust; not always without criticism, for he had enemies, 
but always as an honorable man. 

While not an orator, he was a leader. He could not and did 
not brook a divided leadership in his own political party. 
Hence it was that his bitterest antagonists were often to be 
found among those of his own party faith ; but he never quailed 
or cowered before opposition within or without. He was easily 
the leader of his faction. No other name was suggested. War 
to the knife, and woe to the vanquished ! No quarter asked 
and none given. Cant, hypocrisy, deceit, and treachery had 
his most unmitigated contemi)t and enmity. 

Twice a memi)er of this Hou.se, ])itterly as.sailed within his 
own party, seated in each ca.se after jirolonged contests, in 
which all of the old ])olitical sores of his district were reojiened ; 
unassigned, by reason of these contests, to any inqiortant com- 
mittee, he had little opportunity to make an impression upon the 
House. Those, however, who knew him here, slightly though 
it was, recognized in him the undying love and devotion to his 
friends, his countrw and, al)Ove all, his nati\-e State. Peace to 
his a.shes! buried, according to his desire, at the capital city of his 
State, in beautiful Hollywood, by the side of his honored father. 

It is stated that when our late colleague left this Hall for the 
last time, he said to a friend, " I am going home to die ; " and 
when asked if such feelings did not depress him, replied, " No; 
I am not afraid to die." Mr. vSpeaker, none but the brave can 
answer thus. vSuch is the spirit of those who can lay down 
their lives for their country or their faith. 
H. Doc. 524 3 



34 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 



Address of Mr, Aldrich, of Alabama, 

Mr. Speaker: We are gathered here to-day in the Cham- 
ber of the House of Representatives to pay tribute to the 
memory of Richard Alsop Wise, a member of this Con- 
gress from the Second Virginia district until his death, 
which occurred at his home in WiUiamsburg, Va., on Decem- 
ber 21, 1900, just prior to the dawn of this new century. 

Mr. Wise was a Virginian of the \'irginians. If you read 
the history of \'irginia, you fnid that the history of Mr. 
Wise's family is so interwoven with it that it is difficult, 
aye, impossible, to separate the one from the other. The 
family tree, early planted in the colony, blos.somed and l)ore 
historic fruit. 

We find a governor, great .statesmen, eminent divines, 
brave soldiers, learned lawyers, skillful doctors, and promi- 
nent men of affairs in each succeeding generation, all noted 
for their ability and standing in the various ])rofe.ssions and 
callings with which they were identified. I do not intend 
to go into details about the ancestors or family of Mr. Wise, 
but to confine my remarks to the personal character of the 
man himself, whose death leaves an unfilled blank in this 
Chamber, in his Congressional district, and in his State. 

Mr. Wise possessed in a marked degree the characteris- 
tics of his race. He was strong and tenacious in opinion, 
fixed in his ideals and purposes, yet kind-hearted, affable, 
and yielding in his relations witli others. 

He was born September 2, 1843. in Philadelphia, Pa., and his 
education was acquired in a private school, a university school, 
and at William and Mary College, which he quitted prior to 



Address of Mr. Aidiich, of Alabama. 35 

graduation to enter the Confederate army. He remained in the 
ser^dce until the close of the war, and graduated in his chosen 
profession of medicine in 1867. He filled in succession many 
important positions of trust and responsibility, among them 
being the chair of chemistry and physiology in William and 
Mary College, and assistant physician of the Eastern Lunatic 
Asylum, of which latter institution he l^ecame superintendent 
in 1882. He was elected to the \'irginia legislature in 1885, in 
which he served three years, and subsequently to the clerkship 
of the circuit and county courts of his home city of Williams- 
burg and county of James City. He was elected to the Fifty- 
fifth and to the present Congresses. 

His strength of character is shown by his life. He left his 
uncompleted studies to enter the army, convinced that it was 
his duty to his State and people. Completing his studies and 
becoming a physician, he devoted nuich of his time and energy 
to charity practice, and made it the rule of his life never to 
refuse to attend the sick, whether they could pay for his .serv- 
ices or not. 

After the war was over he became a Repul^lican in politics, 
which, under his environments, was a step requiring the great- 
est strength and independence of mind and purpo.se. 

Many of his neighbors, while not agreeing with his political 
views, still supported him in his Congressional races, knowing 
that he was con.scientious in the change he had made. He was 
forced to submit his claims to membership in this Hou.se to be 
reviewed and pa.ssed upon by Congress, and was twice seated 
after making successful contests. He was the candidate of his 
party for a third time, and had he retained his health it is 
probable that tlie Fifty-.seventh Congress would have heard 
his claims. 

All these experiences show the firm and cotistant character of 



36 Life and Character of RicJiard A. IVise. 

the man. He was uiiDending before ojiposition, uiniiindful of 
obstacles. 

The House of Representatives is an exceeding-ly secular 
body. It is made up of Members and Deleg^ates from all 
parts of our great country, and collectively represents nearly 
80,000,000 of people. We assemble here to legislate for the 
material prosperity of the Union, to better the condition of 
its people, to establish legal barriers against disorder, to build 
walls of defense against unfair foreign competition, and in 
successful peace to prepare for, and thus avoid, destructive 
war. Each comes burdened willi tlie industrial hopes and the 
commercial needs of his connnnnit\ , and wlien these are com- 
pounded 360 times it is not surprising that the secular relations 
of this world are placed far ahead of the spiritual relations of 
the world to come, and that otir attention is called to the 
latter only when .some member passes awa\". It is not that 
we are without religious convictions and aspirations; not that 
we are lacking in respect or knowledge of things divine. For 
have we not the clear, eloquent voice of our i^lind Chai)lain 
in his daily in\-ocations, like the muezzin in the minaret, call- 
ing our thoughts from earthly to heavenly things? But the 
pressing needs of the secular (piickly force a rettirn U) the 
nether world. 

In my daily relations witli many nicmljers of Congress for 
the last six years, I do not remember to have heard qtiestions 
of creed, of faith, or of dogma di.scu.ssed. And so in my 
almost intimate acquaintance with Mr. Wise I do not know 
what his religious faith or convictions were, but I do know 
that he had no fear of death nor of the future — no desire to 
linger when he should be sununoned hence. On one of the 
last days of his attendance here he said to me, in speaking of 
his health: 



Address of Mr. A/drich, of Alabama. 37 

"I am a physician. I know my condition. I have had my 
share in this world, and I am satisfied to go when my time 
comes." 

A faith, in whatever language written, that so strengthens 
the soul as to l:)ar fear and prepare it to contentedly look for- 
ward to a flight from the known to the unknown, is a good 
faith and worthy to be perpetuated. 

We have lately attended the celebration of the one hun- 
dredth anniversary of the assumption of the Chief Justiceship 
of the Supreme Court of the United States by John Marshall, 
and as stars differ in magnitude, but are similar in their orbits, 
so there are many points of comparison between these two 
eminent \'irginians. 

Both were soldiers ; both were professional men ; Ijoth were 
legislators, and both were Congre.s.smen . One was born, the 
other buried, in Philadelphia. Both were elected to olhce 
because of their recognized integrity and lofty principles, and 
the memory of each is endeared to a large circle of friends 
and neighbors, relations, coworkers, and public officials. 

As the memory of John Marshall irradiates his State and the 
nation, so does that of our departed friend shine in his home, in 
his Congressional district, and largely in his State. 

It was my sad duty to attend, as a member of the Congres- 
sional connnittee, the funeral of Richard Alsop Wise. We 
were present when his mortal remains were conveyed to his last 
resting place in a grave at the highest point of beautiful Holly- 
wood Cemetery, on a bright Sunday morning, at Richmond, 
Va. Side by side .vith his father and other distinguished mem- 
l)ers of his family his body was laid. And so we, his friends, 
mourning his departure, place his memory on the highest plane 
and surround it with holly wreaths as trilnite of friendship 
and affection. 



Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 



ADDRESS OF Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri. 

Mr. Speaker: Death is certain, and frequently comes with- 
out warning. Richard A. Wise was not well, but was able 
to be out in town near his home. On the next day, however, 
he was cold and lifeless. Another pointed example of the 
uncertain tenure here and the swift transfer to the l)eyond. 
What is that future? Where shall it be spent? How little we 
know of wdiat the individual is, or may be, who has crossed 
over the boundaries of life I If there is anything more cheer- 
ing in the Chri.stian religion than all else, it is the hope of an 
eternal, happy existence, where human ills are no more. That 
one of all others has the least of comfort, in contemplating the 
hereafter, who believes that death ends all, and that the body 
committed so tenderly to earth is all there is of the departed, 
and that soon it shall give way to the elements about it and be 
lo.st in the transformations of nature. There is joy in the 
thought of eternity. There is pleasure in the hope of immor- 
tality. There is something inspiring in the encouragement 
which Chri.stianity gives that beyond death there is to be a use- 
ful, progressive, and happy life. I know but little of the 
religious convictions of Dr. Wise, but certain it is that he is 
gone, and nothing but religion gives hope for the future and 
lends enccniragement to the thought of a meeting hereafter. 

Dr. Wise served through the civil w^ar as a Confederate sol- 
dier, and was at the close of that fearful conflict inspector-gen- 
eral of Wise's brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. Will it 
]ie said that less of praise .shall be accorded his memory because 



Address of Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri. 39 

he wore the gray? Will the Union veteran bend over the 
mound which marks his resting place in the beautiful cemetery 
at Richmond, Va., to inquire whether he fought with him or 
against him? Every x\merican may well rejoice in the fact 
that the animosities which arose in the attempts at disunion 
are swallowed up in the delightful sentiment of reunion. The 
country builded by the fathers was rent in twain by war to set- 
tle great questions, but after the settlement it is bound together 
with the strongest ties to restore the Union, which was long 
ago declared to be " one and indissolvable. ' ' 

Across the historic Potomac, at the Arlington Cemetery, 
where the nation's dead have been carefully buried, is found a 
beatitiful example of the blending of the blue and the gray. 
In the midst of this cemetery, overlooking the city of Wash- 
ington, on the principal elevation is preserved sacredly to-day 
the beautiful home of Gen. Robert K. Lee, and the stranger 
passing by admiring its beauty dare not injure it by so much as 
a pencil mark without penalty. Dr. Wise was amongst the 
vanquished in that conflict, but liis life work is not dimmed 
nor his fame diminished by that a.ssociation. 

Personally I know but little of the life and character of the 
deceased, but at the reqtie.st of the Speaker of this House I 
went as one of the Congressional escort to give to the deceased 
the last .sad rites of burial. Surrounded by the graves of 
numerous relatives who had preceded him, his body was 
l)uried from human gaze, not far from the beautiful vault 
which contains the remains of President Monroe, near the 
grave of President Tyler, and in the cemetery where Jeff 
Davis, president of the Confederacy, lies buried. On the 
side of another hill, not far distant, is the last resting place 
of Chief JtLStice Marshall. What a historic home of the dead! 



40 Life and Character of Richard A. Wise. 

What associations are blended there! What ruin time has 
wrought! How fitting are Shakespeare's words : 

Time doth transfix the flourish set on j'outh 
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow; 
Feeds on the rareties of nature's truth, 
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow. 

The Speaker pro tempore. As a further mark of respect 
to the memory of the two deceased members, in tribute to 
whom these proceedings have been held, the Hou.se, ptirsuant 
to its resolution, stands adjourned until Monday next at 12 
o'clock noon. 



Proceedings in the Senate. 

January 3, 1901. 

A message from the House communicated to the Senate the 
intelligence of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a 
Representative from the State of Virginia, and transmitted 
resolutions of the House thereon. 

The mes.sage also announced that the Speaker of the House 
had appointed as a committee on the part of the House to 
attend the funeral of the Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Rep- 
resentative from the State of Virginia, Mr. Weeks of Michigan, 
Mr. Aldrich of Alabama, Mr. Kahn of CaUfornia, Mr. Roberts 
of Massachu-setts, Mr. Minor of Wisconsin, Mr. Brick of Indi- 
ana, Mr. Jones of Virginia, Mr. Swanson of Virginia, Mr. Otey 
of Virginia, Mr. Rixey of Virginia, Mr. Hay of \'irginia, Mr. 
Lamb of Virginia, Mr. Quarles of Virginia, Mr. Rhea of Vir- 
ginia, Mr. La.ssiter of Virginia, Mr. Lloyd of Missouri, and Mr. 
Gaines of Tennessee. 

The President pro tempore laid before the Senate the fol- 
lowing resolutions from the Hou.se of Representatives, which 
were read: 

Resolved, T at the Hou.se has heard with deep regret ami profound sor- 
row of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, a Representative from the 
State of Virginia. 

Resolved, That a committee of 17 members of the House, with such 
members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 
funeral at Williamsburg, and that the necessary expenses attending the 
execution of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 

41 



42 Proceediyigs in the Senate, 

directed to take such steps as may be necessary for properly carrying out 
the provisions of this resolution. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. D.^NiEL. Mr. President, I ask leave to offer the resolu- 
tions which I send to the desk. 

The resolutions were read, as follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announce- 
ment of the death of Hon. Richard Alsop Wise, late a Representative 
from the State of Virginia. 

Resolved, That as an adtlitional mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 

The President pro tempore. The question is on the 
adoption of the resolutions submitted by the Senator from 
Virginia. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 
o'clock and 16 minutes p. in. ) the Senate adjourned imtil 
to-morrow, Friday, January 4. 1901, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Febkiwkv 1 1, 1901. 
A message from the House transmitted to the Senate the 
resolutions of the Hou.se commemorative of the life and public 
services of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Representati\'e from 
the State of Virginia. 

Ferruarv 14, 1901. 
Mr. Daniel. I desire to give notice that on Saturday, the 
23d instant, at such hour as may be most .suitable, I shall offer 
appropriate resolutions touching the death of Hon. Richard 
Alsop Wise, late a Representative from \'irginia. 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES, 

February 23, 1901. 

Mr. Daniel. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions of 
the House of Representatives respecting the Hon. Richard 
A. Wise, of Virginia, who recently died, may be laid before 
the Senate. 

The Presiding Officer (Mr. Hansbrough in the chair). 
The resolutions will be read. 

The Secretary read as follows: 

Ix THE House of Representatives, Febniajy 9, 1901. 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- 
tunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Richard A. WiSE, 
late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Virginia. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a distinguished 
public servant, the House, at the conclusion of this day's proceedings, 
shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk be instructed to send a copv of these resolu- 
tions to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. D.\NIEL. I offer the resolutions whicli I send to the 
desk, and ask that they be read. 

The Presiding Officer. The resolutions submitted by the 
Senator from Virginia will be read. 

The Secretar\' read as follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
ment of the death of Hon. Richard A. Wise, late a Representative from 
the State of Virginia. 

Resolved, Tliat the business of the Senate be now suspended in order 
that fitting tribute be paid to his memorv. 

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect the Senate, at the con- 
clusion of these ceremonies, do adjourn. 

43 



44 Life and Chayactcr of Richard A. Wise. 



Address of Mr. Daniel, of Virginia, 

Mr. President: In the closing stages of the Fift3^-sixth 
Congress, as at similar periods of previous Congresses, we find 
that there are not days enough in the week or hours enough in 
the da}' for the fitting and appro])riate discharge of the duties 
that are upon us. Everything at such a stage of legislation 
seems to be congested. Bills in which hundreds of millions of 
dollars are bestowed for the efficient conduct of the multifari- 
ous affairs of nearly a hundred millions of ]-)eople in two conti- 
nents at wide distances jostle against each other. 

Measures of great pith and moment, which involve the most 
intricate and difficult questions of constitutional, economic, and 
administrative law, are thrust ujion us with scarce time for 
their due deli]:)eration. The ])rinting pre.s.ses are pushed to 
their extreme capacity to bear the necessary burdens which are 
put upon them. vSwift messengers go hither and thither, and 
the memliers of both bodies of Congress are almost worn down 
b\- the sense of their responsibilities and ])y the C(jntinuity of 
their labors. 

Meantime at this .se.ssion of Congress, Mr. President, the 
streets are busy with the bustling workmen who are preparing 
the great ixivilions, and many arrangements are being made for 
the inauguration of a new President who has been selected 
by the people and who is to succeed himself. Myriads all over 
the land are looking forward to the gala day and to the splen- 
did pageant. The glory of the world will shine before us. 
But a still small voice has .spoken, which is more imperious 
than the thunder's blast and more potent than the lightning's 
stroke. It has .stolen within these walls, and in the i^recincts 



Address of Mr. Daniel, of ]lrgi>iia. 45 

of our coordinate body, the House of Representatives. It is 
the voice of death, and four of the old States of the Union, 
which were original colonies of the British Crown, are at one 
and the same time bending over the new-made grave where 
Clarke, of New Hampshire; Hoffecker, of Delaware; Daly, of 
New Jersey, and Wise, of ^^irginia, sleep their long sleep. 

Richard Alsop Wise, of Virginia, represented the oldest 
territory in the United States that ever came under that sys- 
tem of British- American jurisprudence and constitutional law, 
which has overspread this continent and is going farther all 
over the world. The many places of responsil>ility and impor- 
tance that he occupied in the community where he lived 
bespeak the sense of the people of that comnuniity as to his 
ability and his efficiency. I observe that one of the first facts 
recounted in the biographical sketches which ha\-e been given 
of his life was that he was educated in Richmond, and at Dr. 
Gessner Harrison's classical academy in the county of Albe- 
marle. It was there that I first became acquainted with him. 
We were then youths in the very morning of life. We studied 
the same books; we played at the same games. There were at 
that school, which was presided over l)y Gessner Harrison, 
a distinguished linguist and grammarian, whose fame tran- 
scended the boundaries of his native Commonwealth, young 
men from all the States of the South and from many of the 
vStates of the North and West. 

While we were there, there occurred the first starthng symp- 
toms of the great strife which seems now almost a part of 
ancient hi.story. Governor Wise, the father of Richard Wise, 
was then the chief executive of the Connnonwealth of \^irginia, 
and all of a sudden, like the ringing of a fire bell in the night, 
there occurred the raid of John Brown at Harpers Ferry, in 
which an assault was made upon the arsenal of the United 



46 Life and Ch a ra der of Rich ard A. I Vise . 

States, against its peace and dignity, in which many of our own 
citizens were slain, against the peace and dignity of our State. 

The Federal Government and the State government alike 
proceeded in such manner as was befitting such an occasion; 
and there met soon at Harpers Ferry, representing the United 
States military forces, Robert E. Lee, then lieutenant-colonel 
of cavalry, who afterwards became the commander in chief of 
the Army of Northern \'irginia, and Lieut. J. E. B. vStuart, who 
served as his adjutant and who afterwards became the lieuten- 
ant-general connnanding the cavalry of that army, and who 
won for himself the sobriquet of "The Flower of Cavaliers." 

There were there officers representing the volunteers of the 
State, who also rose high in distinction. One was Capt. Turner 
Ashby, who gave his sword to the cause which he adopted 
as a general wearing the wreath and stars of the newborn 
Confederacy, and another that remarkable man — then a major 
of the vState cadets — who soon rose to preeminence in the 
profession which he had first entered at West Point, in wliich 
he had l)ecome distinguished in Mexico, and who earned in his 
fir.st battle in the civil war the name of ' ' Stonewall ' ' Jackson 
Jackson, Stuart, and Ash!)>- all died the soldier's death. Our 
school was soon deserted. The teachers became officers. The 
boys scattered to their States and colors all over the country — 
each going to his own people. 

When this period came, Mr. Wise and I became comrades, 
even as before we had been scliool mates and fellows, and as a 
private under the command of General Stuart he entered the 
Confederate army. A few years later he had risen to the rank 
of captain and assi.stant inspector-general of a brigade which 
was commanded by his father, all of whose .sons joined with 
him in the Confederate service, and one of whom, Obediah 
Jennings Wise, a captain, fell gallantly at Roanoke Island. 



Address of Mr. Daniel, of ]^irgi>iia. 47 

The war over, the young men of the State, like \oiing men 
all over this country, repaired to peaceful pursuits, and young 
Wise adopted the vocation of a physician. He entered the 
Medical College of Virginia in 1S67, and was graduated there 
soon after. In 1869 he had become professor of chemistry and 
physiology at old William and Mary College, and that institu- 
tion conferred upon him the degree of master of arts. In 1878 
he became a physician at the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, which 
is also situated at his home town of Williamsburg, and a little 
later was promoted to be the superintendent of that institution. 

About this period of time, Mr. President, the people of Vir- 
ginia were thrown into great commotion by the debt question, 
which came upon them as a legacy of civil war. It is curious 
to note the fact that that Commonwealth, which had earned for 
itself the name of ' ' Mother of vStates ' ' and which had given 
to the Union five of the great Northwestern Connnonwealths 
w^hich are now more populous and wealthier than herself, was 
the only one of all the Connnonwealths of this Union that was 
itself divided by the hand of war, an irony of fate which excites 
our contemplation, and in some of our hearts stirs the depths 
of sorrow. 

When this debt question came upon us, it threw awry all 
ancient party alignments. A political party rose in our State 
which was known as the Readjuster party, and with that party 
the Hon. R. A. Wise aligned himself. When this question 
was settled, some returned to their old alignments; some joined 
the Republican party. He was amongst the latter class. As 
such in 1885 he became a member of the vState legislature. In 
1887 lie was elected the clerk of the county and circuit courts 
of the town of Williamsburg and county of James City. In 
recent years he served twice as a member of Congress — in the 
Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses. 



48 Life and Character of Richayd A. Wise. 

Mr. Wise was a man of intense disposition, full of activity 
and full of energy, and apt to make his mark in anything 
which he undertook. He had earnest and trusting friends and 
he had earnest opponents. It had not been my fortune to be 
thrown much with him for many years, for we lived in remote 
parts of the State, separated by many miles, and by the courses 
of trade and travel, from each other. But I am glad to say 
that I never heard his personal integrity questioned, and the 
constant hold which he had upon those with whom he affiliated 
and the success with which he maintained himself in the vari- 
ous undertakings of life bespeak his ability better than any 
adjective which I could apj^ly to him. 

Mr. Wise was of a family which has long been distinguished 
in the annals of our vState. His first Virginia ancestor came 
to that colony in 1635. His name was John Wise. He pos- 
sessed great wit, and was said to have Ijeen knighted by Henry 
\'III for his remarkable effusions and demonstrations denoting 
it. From him as an American ancestor sprung many men of 
distinction — soldiers, orators, authors, clergymen, and lawyers. 
His father, the Hon. Henry A. Wise, was the most eminent of 
his name; a brilliant orator and celebrated party leader — 
Congres.sman, foreign minister, governor, and general. He was 
also a lawyer of learning and eloquence, and as an author his 
"Ten Decades of the Union " is a most interesting and graphic 
e.ssay. Mr. Wise was proud of his family, and deeply devoted 
to those who were near and dear to him, and he is deeply 
mourned by many friends who found in him a helping hand 
in all their efforts and undertakings. 

Alfiicted by a mortal malady, as he himself well knew, it 
came acutely upon him while he was here in the.se busy con- 
flicts and contentions of life; and to a friend to whom he told 
he was going home, and who inquired about him, he said, "I 



Address of Mr. Daniel, of Viighiia. 49 

am a physician; I know my condition; I have had my share in 
this world, and I am satisfied to go when my time comes." 

I do not know, Mr. President, what were his pecuhar reh- 
gious opinions, but one who has so composed his mind to meet 
with a calm and courageous spirit the last enemy of man I can 
but feel was not unprepared for that last trial. 

I have read in an encomium upon nim, written by a friend 

who was not of his political persuasion, chese words, which I 

beg leave to repeat here: 

jNIany families can be mentioned — white families, not to speak of the 
colored people — upon whom Dr. Wise has been practicing for years 
without hope or expectation of remuneration. The devotion of the needy 
class to Dr. Wise was phenomenal. "Day and night," it is known to 
the writer of this poor tribute. Dr. Wise wpuld travel many miles to visit 
the sick, nurse them tenderly and carefully, when he well knew there 
was not the slightest prospect of any medical fees. 

To have had a truthful friend to say that of him is worth 
more than any costly monument that could be built above his 
du.st or any word of praise that could be spoken. 

Fitting ceremonies were held in the House of Representa- 
tives upon the death of Dr. Wise, and more extended biogra- 
phies of his life and history were there given; but that he had 
such reputation amongst those who knew him best, and that 
witnesses have risen up to speak of his acts of kindness and 
charity to those who were needy, is enough to give solace to 
the sorrowing hearts of tho.se who were of his kith and kin- 
dred, and such a man I feel mu.st sleep well. 
H. Doc. 524 4 



50 Life and Character of Richard A. Jl'ise. 



Address of Mr, Turley, of Tennessee. 

Mr. President: The names of prominent individuals and 
families are intimately connected with the history of all of 
our older States, and thus it is that the name of Wise is con- 
nected with some of the most stirrinj:^ scenes in the history 
of the great Commonwealth of \'irginia. In the earliest recol- 
lections that I have of an>- ]niblic event. I remember now 
that the name of Henry A. Wise, father of Representative 
Richard A. Wise, was more often mentioned and more widely 
known than prol)ably the name of any other pul)lic man then 
living in this country. Descended from such a family and 
.such a father, it is not at all wonderful that the life of Rich- 
.\RD A. Wise .should have been one of force and u.sefulness. 
The hi.story of his .services while representing his State in 
the House of Representatives is a part of the records of 
Congress. 

Mr. President, when I see and remember that in his early 
youth and during the civil war he was a member of the troopers 
who rode with vStuart, and also during a jiortion of that struggle 
was one of that incomparable body of men in the infantry of the 
army of Northern Virginia, I know that he nuist have been a 
man in all that that term implies. But, Mr. Presideut, to my 
mind it is not in the public achievements of any individual that 
we nuLst look for his true character. It is in his private life 
and in his private relations. The kindly man, the charital^le 
citizen, the man who loves his neighbor as himself, is as useful, 
if not more u.seful, in this world than the man who sways 
Senates and conunands armies, and I have always believed that 
the best man on this earth is the good physician. I give him 



Address of Mr. Tnrley, of Tennessee. 51 

his place above preacher, above lawyer, above any other class 
of men. No men in my judgment do so much good. No men 
carry so much comfort to the afflicted as do the conscientious, 
kind, accomplished physicians. 

Dr. Wise was for many years a practicing physician, and the 
Senator from Virginia has read a portion of a letter which was 
written about him at the time of his death by one who lived in 
the same community with him and kntw him well. I wish to 
add a portion of that letter as a part of my remarks, to show 
the true character of this man: 

The feeling of the deepest sorrow fills this entire community on account 
of the death of Dr. Richard A. Wise, which occurred about 10 o'clock 
yesterday morning, for they feel the loss of a good and skillful physician, 
who was ready at all times to respond to the calls of suffering humanity; 
and those who feel most heavily the loss of a kind friend and benefactor 
are the poorer class of people. This day has been heard on the .streets 
and out in the country many heartfelt expressions of sorrow from the lips 
of white and colored: "What is to become of us, now that Dr. WiSE is 
gone?" 

Mr. President, higher prai.se and a more fitting tribute could 
not be paid to the menK)ry of any man. 

The Presiding Officer. The question is on agreeing to 
the resolutions submitted by the vSenator from X'irginia [Mr. 
Daniel] . 

The resolutions were unanimousl\- agreed to. 





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